THE PURGE #355

• Welcome to your weekend Purge – and welcome to ‘Nature’, the new album from Australian music legend Paul Kelly. The release of the new long player was confirmed during the week, at the same time as its lead single ‘With The One I Love’ was being serviced to Australian media. The video for the single was filmed at the old Magistrate’s Court in Melbourne and features a few cool cameos, including Mojo Juju as the judge and Vika & Linda Bull as defence lawyers. Check it out HERE. Pre-orders for Paul’s new album are live now ahead of its release on Friday October 12.
• Labrinth, Sia and Diplo, collectively known these days as ‘LSD’, have released a new single entitled ‘Thunderclouds’. The trio first wrapped us around their little fingers with the track ‘Genius’ earlier in the year and then quickly followed that up with their sophomore track ‘Audio’. Now onto track three, their team at Sony Music have confirmed that a debut album of material is in the pipeline. And it’s due for release later this year.
• Aussie favourites Rüfüs Du Sol have a new song too. Their latest earworm is ‘Underwater’ and it follows on from their comeback track ‘No Place’ a couple of months back. Brilliantly, they too have a new album on the way. Called ‘Solace’, it’s also with Sony Music and, like LSD, that will also see the light of day by the end of the year.

After winning last year’s edition of ‘The Voice’, Judah Kelly went away to decide what kind of artist he wanted to be moving forward. Yesterday, he re-emerged from his hiatus with his new single ‘Real Good Time’. The track, a soul/blues/soft rock number, is the title track from his forthcoming 13 track album, which is due to land at retailers everywhere on Friday October 05. One thing’s for sure, however, those vocals of his have lost none of their specialness in the past 15 months.
• We’ve got a new Timmy Trumpet single for the weekend. The aptly named ‘Trumpets’ arrived yesterday and features a cacophony of hoots from the brass section favourite, as well as added vocal spice from Lady Bee. To celebrate, Timmy’s heading home for a few Aussie shows from late next month. Catch him at Eatons Hill Hotel in Brisbane (Sep 28), Platinum Nightclub on the Gold Coast (Sep 29), HQ in Adelaide (Sep 30) and at the Publican in Mornington (Oct 05).
• Massive news for Canadian superstar Drake during the week, with news that he’s become the first artist in history to surpass a staggering 50 billion streams across all global streaming platforms. Yep, 50 BILLION. Suffice to say, he’s not short of a penny. His latest single ‘In My Feelings’ holds the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for a fourth successive week, while his album ‘Scorpion’ also maintains its No.1 heading Stateside this week, for a fifth successive week. Check our US chart wrap a few paragraphs below.

• The all-important line-up for the 2018 Meredith Music Festival is here. The 2018 edition is due to take over the stunning Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from December 07-09 and a host of big name music guests will be in attendance to soothe the souls of many a weary traveller. The Presets, Sampa The Great, Billy Bragg, The Breeders, Pond, Nadia Rose, Mental As Anything and a bucketload more are on the bill, with more artists to be announced between now and December.
• Big props to the team from Newcastle’s Scene & Heard Festival, who have rolled out the welcome mat for farmers doing it tough as part of the drought in New South Wales. The entire state has been officially declared in drought, so organisers will give away 100 free tickets to rural Aussie farmers. Not only that, but donations tins will be installed at each of the event gates so that punters can contribute as they’re heading in to catch the show. All proceeds will go to the charity ‘Buy A Bale’.
• The Kite String Tangle, Sampa The Great, Kaiit, Last Dinosaurs, The Smith Street Band and more will be hitting the hills of Gippsland in Victoria this new year’s eve for ‘NYE On The Hill’. It’s just 95 minutes drive to the south-east of Melbourne and tickets are on sale now.
• And if you’re in Wollongong, Corona Presents will be taking over North Beach on Saturday December 01 with the Corona Sunsets Festival. We’re bring promised “incredible music, food, arts, market stalls, eco workshops and more” at the event; the official line-up dropping this Thursday. Watch this space.

• It’s week number four for Drake’s ‘In My Feelings’ in the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart and, as with last week, it’s closely followed by George Ezra’s single ‘Shotgun’ (No.2). But the new DJ Khaled single ‘No Brainer’, which debuted at No.4 last week, is up to No.3 in week two, swapping places with Jonas Blue’s ‘Rise’; the boys from 5SOS hold at five with ‘Youngblood’. Loud Luxury’s ‘Body’ bullets from No.19 to No.8, while the highest debut of the week enters the UK countdown at No.9 – Travis Scott’s ‘Sicko Mode’. Travis Scott also enters at No.15 with ‘Stargazing’; both tracks lifted from his new album ‘Astroworld’, which makes its debut on the UK album chart.
• But it doesn’t debut atop the UK album chart. No, that position is still occupied by the soundtrack to ‘Mamma Mia : Here We Go Again’. And it doesn’t debut at No.2 either (‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack). But ‘Astroworld’ does make it into the UK countdown at No.3. Drake and George Ezra make up the top five. There’s a No.6 debut for James’ ‘Living In Extraordinary Times’ and a No.8 debut for Deaf Havana’s ‘Rituals’.

• As mentioned above, another big week for Drake on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, with a fourth week in the No.1 position for his global hit ‘In My Feelings’. The track continues to be bound into the top spot by Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ at No.2, but there’s movement in the No.3 position, with an improvement from No.4 to No.3 for 6ix9ine’s new single ‘Fefe’ (with Nicki Minaj). The new DJ Khaled single ‘No Brainer’ (with Justin Bieber providing some serious superstar clout) premieres at a very healthy No.5.
• And no movement once again on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with Drake’s long player ‘Scorpion’ stuck in the No.1 spot for a fifth successive week. Right behind him, however, country star Kenny Chesney scores a No.2 debut with his latest long player ‘Songs For The Saints’. The rest of the US top five belongs to Post Malone, Juice WRLD and Cardi B respectively, with Halestorm’s ‘Vicious’ and Daughtry’s ‘Cage To Rattle’ the other new entries into the US top ten this week, in positions eight and ten respectively. Cody Jinks just misses the top ten on debut with ‘Lifers’ (new at No.11), while the G Herbo & Southside album ‘Swervo’ debuts at No.15.
• No more left to say for this edition of The Purge, but we shall return this afternoon with another scintillating edition of ARIA Chart Watch, our weekly wrap of the ARIA top 100s. It’s live from five.